Latest questions: 12 December 2017

This week's questions are from those written for Week 7 of the 2017–18 season in Macclesfield Quiz League, by the Wharfies.

In what's probably Morecambe & Wise's best–known sketch, to whom did Eric Morecambe say, "I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. I'll give you that – I'll give you that, Sunshine."		André Previn
Which famous writer was commemorated by a statue unveiled in November 2017 outside the newly extended and refurbished Broadcasting House, where he worked during World War II?		George Orwell
Which New Zealand rugby player, an international in both League and Union, also fought and won six professional boxing matches between 2009 and 2013?		Sonny Bill Williams
Who was the only survivor of the Munich air disaster, apart from Bobby Charlton, who played in the 1968 European Cup final? A centre half, he scored the winning goal in the semi–final.		Bill Foulkes
Who captained Wales's Grand Slam winning team in 1971, and also, in the same year, captained the first and only Lions team (to date) to win a Test series in New Zealand?		John Dawes
Which tennis player won a total of 39 Grand Slam titles (including 20 at Wimbledon) between 1961 and 1980 – 12 singles (6 at Wimbledon), 16 women's doubles (10) and 11 mixed doubles (4)?		Billie–Jean King
What was the name of the machine that was built at the Post Office Research Station in Dollis Hill, north–west London, and used in code–breaking activities at Bletchley Park from January 1944 – regarded as the world's first programmable, electronic, digital computer (programmed by switches and plugs, not by a stored program)?		Colossus
Born in Mainz (modern Germany), around 1400: who introduced the printing press (with moveable type) to Europe, in 1439? This innovation is regarded as the facilitator of the modern period of history – playing a key role in the development of the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Age of Enlightenment, and the scientific revolution		Johannes Gutenberg
Which pioneer of radio was born in Bologna (Italy) in 1874, and founded the Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company (which eventually took his name) in the United Kingdom in 1897? He transmitted signals across the English Channel in 1898, across the Atlantic (from Poldhu in Cornwall to St. John's, Newfoundland) in 1901, and to Australia in 1918.		Guglielmo Marconi
Little Buttercup – "a Bumboat Woman", or dockside vendor, described as the "rosiest, roundest, and reddest beauty in all Spithead" – appears in which Gilbert & Sullivan opera?		HMS Pinafore
Which 2011 British comedy–drama film, based on a novel by Deborah Moggach, features Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, Bill Nighy, Ronald Pickup, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson and Penelope Wilton as a group of pensioners moving to a retirement hotel in India, whose eager young proprietor is played by Dev Patel?		The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Which socialite and actress, born in 1853 on the island of Jersey, was known for her relationships with members of the aristocracy, including the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), the Earl of Shrewsbury, and Prince Louis of Battenberg (father of Louis Mountbatten, Earl Mountbatten of Burma)?		Lily Langtry
In the cartoons by Hergé, who is Tintin's best friend? A weak and alcoholic character, he is controlled by his treacherous first mate Allan, who keeps him drunk and runs his freighter.		Captain Haddock
Which Welsh rugby legend once held the record for the biggest pike caught in British waters? (The record was set in 1989, eleven years after his retirement from rugby, and beaten in 1992.)		Gareth Edwards
Which month is traditionally known or described as 'filldyke'?		February
According to the Book of Proverbs, what is better than rubies?		Wisdom
The Tongariro National Park – a UNESCO world heritage site, acknowledged for both its natural and cultural significance – is the oldest national park in which country?		New Zealand
Who were the second father and son to play in Premiership–winning teams (after Ian Wright and Shaun Wright–Phillips)?		Peter and Kasper Schmeichel
Which Super League rugby league club's ground was renamed in January 2017, for sponsorship reasons, the Totally Wicked Stadium?		St. Helens
Which BBC TV drama series, first broadcast in 2012, is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth?		Call the Midwife
In the 1996 comedy–drama film Brassed Off, who played the conductor, Danny Ormondroyd?		Pete Postlethwaite
In the 1996 comedy–drama film Brassed Off, who played the horn player Andy Barrow?		Ewan McGregor
In the 1996 comedy–drama film Brassed Off, who played the flugelhorn player Gloria Mullins – whose arrival causes a stir among the existing musicians?		Tara Fitzgerald
In the 1996 comedy–drama film Brassed Off, which real–life colliery band provided the soundtrack? (The colliery itself provided the inspiration for much of the plot.)		Grimethorpe
What's the everyday name for a reqular quadrilateral (one where all the sides and all the angles are equal)?		A square
When you say "Amen" at the end of a prayer, what does it mean?		So be it (or verily, or truly)
Which Australian state capital is named after the river on which it's situated (which in turn was named after the Scottish–born Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825)?		Brisbane
In geometry, what word is used to describe two or more circles that have the same centre but different sizes?		Concentric
Which basic, historical form of musical composition is a piece for voices with instrumental accompaniment? Its name literally means 'sung' – the feminine singular past participle of the Italian verb meaning 'to sing'.		Cantata
Which basic, historical form of musical composition was originally a piece for one or more solo instruments, often with continuo? It later came to mean a piece performed by a solo instrument, most often a keyboard instrument, or by a solo instrument accompanied by a keyboard instrument; its name comes from the Latin and Italian words meaning 'to sound'.		Sonata
Which basic, historical form of musical composition (the alternative style to a sonata) is built on a subject (theme) that is introduced at the beginning, repeated at different pitches, and recurs frequently?		Fugue
Which African country is given access to the Zambesi river by the Caprivi Strip – named after the German Chancellor who negotiated the acquisition of the land in 1890, in an exchange with the United Kingdom?		Namibia
Cipriano Castro was President, from 1899 to 1908, of which Latin American country?		Venezuela
Which word, derived from the Arabic word for a ploughman or tiller, is used in the Middle East and North Africa to refer to a farmer or agricultural laborer?		Fellah
Which Irish–born British tractor pioneer made a deal with Henry Ford in 1938, to produce tractors incorporating his innovations in the USA? His company merged with Massey Harris of Canada in 1953 (following the expiry of most of his important patents), forming the company that combined his name with that of Massey		Harry Ferguson
Which comedy–drama television series, broadcast on HBO from 2012 to 2017, was created by Lena Dunham (who also starred and directed), and followed the lives of four young women living in New York City?		Girls
Which Netflix series, a political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as Congressman Frank Underwood (adapted from the 1990 BBC miniseries of the same title), was terminated after allegations of sexual misconduct made against Spacey in October 2017?		House of Cards
To which part of the body does the adjective 'rhinal' refer?		The nose
A Legacy of Spies, published in 2017, is the latest novel by which veteran British author?		John le Carré
Whose first four novels, all published between 1929 and 1935, were The Man Within, Stamboul Train, It's a Battlefield, and England Made Me? (Stamboul Train was published in the USA as Orient Express; England Made Me was republished in 1953 as The Shipwrecked.)		Graham Greene
In which sport might you play an inwick or an outwick?		Curling

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Latest questions: 12 December 2017